Henderson Agrees to Terms With the Mariners

Rickey Henderson, released by the New York Mets over the weekend, reached an agreement to play for the Seattle Mariners, his agent said Wednesday night.

Henderson and the Mariners agreed about eight hours after baseball’s all-time stolen-base leader cleared waivers, agent Jeff Borris said. The Montreal Expos also pursued him.

Henderson spoke to managers Lou Piniella of Seattle and Felipe Alou of the Expos in the hours leading up to his decision.

“It went down to the bottom of the ninth,” Borris said. “The Expos made a valiant effort to get him, but so did the Mariners.”

Henderson was cut by the Mets Saturday in the midst of a troubling season. Slumping at the plate and booed by fans at Shea Stadium, he was feuding with management.

Henderson, 41, needs 163 hits to reach 3,000. He also has hopes of becoming baseball’s all-time leader in runs and walks.

The Mariners, picked by many to win the American League West, are leading the division. They will probably use Henderson as their regular leadoff hitter and left fielder.

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Outfielder Eric Davis of the St. Louis Cardinals said he will probably retire after the season.

Davis, who turns 38 on May 29, said he’s giving strong consideration to retiring so he can spend more time with his family. Davis and his wife, Sherrie, have two daughters, the oldest of whom will enter high school in September.

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Wade Boggs said he would be receptive to the idea of playing for the U.S. Olympic baseball team if the squad includes recently retired major leaguers.

Boggs, 41, retired after getting his 3,000th hit with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays last season and is working for the Devil Rays as a special assistant to General Manager Chuck LaMar.

The Olympic squad will include professionals for the first time this year, and Boggs told the St. Petersburg Times that he would be open to playing if the selection committee decides to include ex-major leaguers.

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The Detroit Tigers released veteran reliever Jim Poole.

Poole, a left-hander who split last season with the Philadelphia Phillies and Cleveland Indians, made a team-high 18 appearances this season and was 1-0 with a 7.27 earned-run average.

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Seattle second baseman and left fielder Mark McLemore was held out of Wednesday night’s game against the Minnesota Twins because of back spasms.